What exactly is thought about a woman? Book Review: "Man na Meghdhanush" by Gunvant Shah

A few days back, I was reading a Gujarati book titled "Man Na Meghdhanush" by the renowned Gujarati author Shri Gunvant Shah.

In this book, the author mainly focuses on different aspects of the relationship of man and woman and the position of women in a male dominated society, where women are thrust upon to wear various labels, whereas, men are free from those.

Presenting here some extracts from the book and my opinions on the same -  



If we believe in either of the religious books – the Vedas, the Bible or the Quran – we have to accept the fact that God has created woman. If we are believers of Science, we have to accept that woman, just like the man, has evolved from an ape to human, in the process of evolution. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad considers woman to be   a part of the seed of Brahma, i.e., half of the universe. The verse, “God resides at the place where women are worshipped”, is very popular in Indian society. This verse, though describes the importance of woman in the society, does not become nutrient to the cohabitation on man and woman. It is also expected of a woman that while doing her work, she should be as perfect as a secretary; while in bed, she should behave as Rambha, the damsel in Indra’s court; while serving food, she should behave as a mother, and while listening, she should behave as a dasi (literally, a slave). From this verse, it is clearly felt that a woman is a puppet, who is expected to fulfill all the expectations of her man, and this mentality is still prevalent in our country. Before marriage is fixed, people from the boy’s side come to visit the girl to “see” her. The girl, as a puppet, comes fully decorated, holding a tray of tea cups, into the drawing room, where she is “displayed” to the boy and his family. The situation is same for an educated, as well as an uneducated girl. When the “deal” is fixed, the woman is sold to the buyer (boy’s family) along with dowry. This objectification of woman ends the factor of friendship between a man and a woman. Such a marriage, without any friendship, becomes just a habitation of two pillars instead o human beings, and this continuously increases a feeling of discontentment among the two, which is very natural. When, in such situations, if there develops a feeling of love and friendship at a later stage, it can just be considered as a pleasant accident in life. The custom of Sati is the biggest violation of the basic human rights of a woman’s life.

Women are considered to be the inventors of farming. Gargi is credited with the discovery of Algebra. “Lilavati’s Mathematics” is a proof of this. Khana, the wife of Varahamihir, is notable for her contributions in poetry, astronomy and astrology. Even today in the northeastern parts of the country, her couplets are recited. It is good if a woman is elected to become the Prime Minister, but it is more important that she gets recognized as a human being, as an individual. And this will be possible only when she is stopped being considered as an object. The Sati system rejected the position of a woman as a human being, which nastily continued with the religion. Though this system of burning a woman along with her husband’s pyre is discontinued now, the system where a woman is considered second in day to day issues has not impeded. If this continues, no man, in true sense, will ever be happy and content. It is the utmost need of the hour that the “personhood” of the woman is recognized. Simone de Beauvoir, wife of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, writes in her book, The Second Sex, that “one is not born a woman, but becomes one”. Once an palmist studied a woman’s hand and told her that her fate is very strong, and she will get a husband who will always obey her. On hearing this, she started crying. When the palmist looked at her in surprise, she told him that she doesn’t want a husband who obeys her all the time. Instead, she wants a person who considers her as a partner and discusses his thoughts with her. She needs a friend with a broad mind and an open heart. 


Reading these two extracts from the book, we come to know that what exactly the position of the woman today is?! When human life started, both the man and the woman were considered as equals. However, looking at the physical and mental changes in a woman at particular ages, men started writing the history, the Puranas, and started framing rules. The injustice to the women done through these things is evident in the following lines, extracted from the Manusmriti –
1)   Serving the husband is the ultimate goal of woman’s life; and doing household chores is the ultimate prayer.
2)   As the river acquires the qualities of the sea when they meet, similarly, the woman acquires the qualities of her husband on their union.
3)   The woman should undoubtedly worship her husband as Lord, even if he does not bear a good moral character, is involved with other woman, or is not educated.
4)   It is the duty of the woman to not even utter the name of another man after her husband’s demise if she wants to acquire the highest level of devotion towards her husband. She is supposed to decay her body after her husband’s demise by eating sacred fruits, vegetables, and roots.
5)   It is the husband’s duty to protect the woman. The woman will be preserved by protection and maintaining her purity. So it is essential that he should always keep his wife in his service.

All these factors tell us that the position of the woman in a male dominated society has never changed. Since time immemorial, she is considered to be an object to gratify a man’s needs.